History: 20 TOPIK II reading passages, each with translated sentences and comprehension questions.
🌟 The Small Stone Tower of Cheomseongdae
지난 주말에 저는 초등학생 조카와 함께 경주에 있는 첨성대에 갔어요.
Last weekend I went to Cheomseongdae in Gyeongju with my nephew, who is in elementary school.
첨성대는 신라 선덕여왕 때 세워졌다고 전해지는 건축물로, 하늘을 관찰하던 곳으로 알려져 있어요.
Cheomseongdae is a structure said to have been built during the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla, and it is known as a place for observing the sky.
그런데 조카가 첨성대를 보자마자 별을 보던 곳이 왜 이렇게 작으냐길래 저는 뭐라고 대답할지 잠시 고민했어요.
But as soon as my nephew saw it, he asked why a place for watching stars was so small, so I had to think for a moment about how to answer.
저는 큰 망원경이 없던 시절에는 사람이 직접 맨눈으로 하늘을 살폈다고 설명해 줬어요.
I explained that in the days before big telescopes, people watched the sky directly with their naked eyes.
그 시절 사람들에게는 해와 달, 별의 움직임을 아는 것이 농사를 짓는 데 아주 중요했어요.
For people back then, knowing the movements of the sun, moon and stars was very important for farming.
조카는 돌로 쌓은 첨성대가 천삼백 년이 넘도록 무너지지 않고 서 있다는 것이 대단하다며 한참 동안 사진을 찍었어요.
Saying it was amazing that the stone structure had stood without collapsing for over 1,300 years, my nephew took pictures for a long time.
크기만 보고 판단하면 그 안에 담긴 옛사람들의 지혜를 놓치기 쉽다는 것을 저도 다시 느꼈어요.
I was reminded once again that if you judge only by size, it's easy to miss the wisdom of people long ago that it holds.
What did the nephew ask when he saw Cheomseongdae?
- Why it was so small ✓
- Who built it
- Whether he could climb it
- When it collapsed
Why was knowing the movements of the sky important to people long ago?
- They wanted to test big telescopes
- The queen liked watching stars
- It was necessary for farming ✓
- They wanted to build the tower higher
Which of the following matches the passage?
- It had a big telescope inside
- It was built in the Silla period ✓
- The nephew showed no interest
- The writer traveled alone
📜 The Woodblocks of Haeinsa Temple
대학생 도윤 씨는 방학 동안 합천 해인사에서 문화재 해설 봉사를 했어요.
During his vacation, college student Doyun volunteered as a heritage guide at Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon.
해인사에는 고려 시대에 만들어진 팔만대장경이 보관되어 있어요.
Haeinsa houses the Tripitaka Koreana, made during the Goryeo period.
하루는 한 관람객에게서 나무판이 정말 그렇게 많으냐는 질문을 받았어요.
One day a visitor asked him whether there really were that many wooden blocks.
도윤 씨는 불교 경전을 새긴 나무판이 팔만 장이 넘어서 이런 이름이 붙었다고 대답했어요.
Doyun answered that it got its name because there are more than eighty thousand wooden blocks carved with Buddhist scriptures.
더 놀라운 점은 칠백 년이 넘는 세월 동안 이 나무판들이 거의 상하지 않았다는 사실이에요.
What is even more surprising is that these blocks have barely been damaged over more than seven hundred years.
그 비결로는 바람이 잘 통하고 습기를 조절하도록 지은 보관 건물인 장경판전이 꼽혀요.
The secret is said to be Janggyeong Panjeon, the storage building designed for good airflow and humidity control.
이 건물은 그 가치를 인정받아 유네스코 세계 유산으로 등재되었어요.
Recognized for its value, this building was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
관람객은 설명을 듣고 나서 옛사람들의 과학적인 지혜에 감탄했어요.
After hearing the explanation, the visitor marveled at the scientific wisdom of people long ago.
What did the visitor ask Doyun?
- Who carved the blocks
- Whether he could touch the blocks
- When the building was rebuilt
- Whether there really were that many blocks ✓
Why could the blocks be preserved so well for so long?
- They were kept in a building that controls air and humidity ✓
- New blocks were made every year
- They were buried deep underground
- Visitors never touched them
What can we learn from this passage?
- The Tripitaka was made in the Joseon period
- Doyun is an employee of the temple
- There are about eight thousand blocks
- The storage building is a World Heritage Site ✓
🔠 The Tiny Letters of Jikji
지난 방학에 수아네 가족은 청주에 있는 고인쇄 박물관에 갔어요.
Last vacation, Sua's family went to the Early Printing Museum in Cheongju.
그곳에는 지금 남아 있는 금속 활자 책 가운데 가장 오래된 직지에 관한 전시가 있었어요.
There was an exhibition there about Jikji, the oldest surviving book printed with metal type.
직지는 고려 시대인 천삼백칠십칠 년에 청주의 흥덕사에서 금속 활자로 찍어 낸 책이에요.
Jikji is a book printed with metal type in 1377, during the Goryeo period, at Heungdeoksa Temple in Cheongju.
활자 모형을 한참 들여다보던 수아가 엄마에게 무언가를 작게 속삭였어요.
After staring at the model type for a while, Sua whispered something quietly to her mom.
엄마는 웃으면서 아빠에게 “수아가 글자 하나하나가 왜 이렇게 작으냐는구나.”라고 전했어요.
Smiling, her mom told her dad, “Sua's asking why each letter is so small.”
아빠는 작은 글자를 하나씩 만들어 두면 여러 번 다시 조합해서 다른 책도 찍을 수 있다고 설명해 주셨어요.
Her dad explained that if you make small letters one by one, you can recombine them many times to print other books too.
수아는 그 책이 지금은 프랑스 국립 도서관에 보관되어 있다는 말을 듣고 언젠가 직접 보고 싶다고 했어요.
When Sua heard that the book is now kept at the National Library of France, she said she wanted to see it in person someday.
What question did Sua whisper to her mom?
- Why the book is kept in France
- Why the letters were so small ✓
- What the type is made of
- When the museum closes
According to the dad, why is type made as small individual letters?
- They are easier to make than big letters
- To make books lighter
- They can be recombined many times ✓
- To save paper
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Jikji was printed in Cheongju in the Goryeo period ✓
- Jikji is now in a museum in Cheongju
- Sua asked her dad directly
- Jikji was printed with wooden type
⏳ The Water Clock That Rang Its Own Bell
저희 할아버지는 은퇴하신 뒤로 고궁 박물관에서 해설 봉사를 하고 계세요.
Since retiring, my grandfather has been volunteering as a guide at the palace museum.
지난주에 저는 할아버지의 해설을 들으러 박물관에 따라갔어요.
Last week I went along to the museum to hear my grandfather's tour.
그날 할아버지는 세종 때 장영실이 만든 자동 물시계인 자격루를 소개하셨어요.
That day my grandfather introduced Jagyeongnu, the automatic water clock that Jang Yeong-sil made in King Sejong's time.
설명이 끝나자 앞줄에 있던 학생 하나가 손을 들고 질문을 했어요.
When the explanation ended, a student in the front row raised a hand and asked a question.
할아버지는 해시계를 맡은 친구 해설사를 돌아보며 “이 학생이 물시계가 해시계보다 좋으냐는군.” 하고 웃으셨어요.
My grandfather turned to his friend, the guide in charge of sundials, and laughed, “This student wants to know if a water clock is better than a sundial.”
친구분은 해시계는 해가 없는 밤이나 흐린 날에는 쓸 수 없지만, 물시계는 언제든 시각을 알려 준다고 답하셨어요.
His friend answered that a sundial can't be used at night or on cloudy days, but a water clock tells the time whenever you need it.
게다가 자격루는 시간이 되면 인형이 종과 북을 쳐서 사람이 지켜보지 않아도 시각을 알렸다고 해요.
What's more, when the time came, figures on Jagyeongnu struck a bell and a drum, announcing the hour even when nobody was watching it.
저는 그날 오래전 발명품 하나에도 사람들의 불편을 덜려는 고민이 담겨 있다는 것을 알게 됐어요.
That day I learned that even an invention from long ago carries careful thought about easing people's inconvenience.
Who passed the student's question on to the friend guide?
- The student in the front row
- The writer's grandfather ✓
- The writer himself
- The museum director
What is the advantage of a water clock over a sundial?
- It is much easier to make
- It is small enough to carry
- It works at night and on cloudy days ✓
- Someone must always watch it
Which of the following matches the passage?
- It could only be used when the sun was out
- The writer volunteers as a guide
- It was made in the Goryeo period
- Figures struck a bell and drum to tell the time ✓
💡 How Bright Was Edison's Bulb?
초등학생인 사촌 동생 지훈이가 방학 숙제로 에디슨에 대해 조사하게 됐어요.
My younger cousin Jihun, who is in elementary school, had to research Edison for his vacation homework.
많은 사람이 에디슨이 전구를 처음 발명했다고 알고 있지만, 사실 그 전에도 전구는 있었어요.
Many people believe Edison invented the first light bulb, but in fact there were bulbs before his.
다만 그때의 전구는 금방 타 버리거나 값이 비싸서 집에서 쓰기 어려웠어요.
However, those bulbs burned out quickly or were expensive, so they were hard to use at home.
에디슨은 수많은 재료를 시험한 끝에 천팔백칠십구 년에 오래 켜 둘 수 있는 전구를 만들었어요.
After testing countless materials, Edison made a bulb in 1879 that could stay lit for a long time.
그런데 지훈이가 에디슨의 전구도 요즘 전구처럼 밝으냐는데, 저도 정확히 몰라서 함께 자료를 찾아봤어요.
But Jihun asked whether Edison's bulb was as bright as today's bulbs, and since I didn't know exactly either, we looked it up together.
자료를 보니 그 전구는 요즘 전구보다 어두웠지만, 촛불이나 가스등보다 편리하고 안전했대요.
According to what we found, that bulb was dimmer than today's bulbs, but it was more convenient and safer than candles or gas lamps.
지훈이는 처음부터 완벽한 발명보다 꾸준히 고쳐 나가는 과정이 더 중요하다는 문장으로 보고서를 마무리했어요.
Jihun finished his report with a sentence saying that steadily improving something matters more than inventing it perfectly from the start.
What did Jihun ask the writer?
- Whether Edison's bulb was as bright as today's ✓
- When Edison made his bulb
- What is needed to make a bulb
- Why gas lamps are dangerous
Why were bulbs before Edison's hard to use at home?
- They were too much brighter than candles
- They had to be used with gas lamps
- They burned out fast or were expensive ✓
- There were no materials to make them
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Edison's bulb was brighter than today's
- Bulbs existed before Edison's ✓
- Edison tested only one material
- Jihun did the research alone
✈️ Twelve Seconds in the Air
주말에 민재는 초등학생 동생과 함께 과학관의 하늘 전시관에 갔어요.
On the weekend, Minjae went to the aviation hall of a science museum with his younger brother, who is in elementary school.
전시관 한가운데에는 라이트 형제가 만든 첫 비행기의 모형이 걸려 있었어요.
In the middle of the hall hung a model of the first airplane made by the Wright brothers.
라이트 형제는 천구백삼 년, 엔진을 단 비행기로 사람이 조종하는 비행에 처음 성공한 것으로 알려져 있어요.
The Wright brothers are known as the first to succeed, in 1903, in a piloted flight with an engine-powered airplane.
그런데 첫 비행 시간은 겨우 십이 초였고, 날아간 거리도 사십 미터가 채 되지 않았어요.
But the first flight lasted only twelve seconds, and the distance flown was less than forty meters.
동생이 첫 비행이 왜 이렇게 짧으냐는데도 민재는 설명판을 읽느라 한동안 대답하지 못했어요.
Even though his brother kept asking why the first flight was so short, Minjae was busy reading the display board and didn't answer for a while.
설명판을 다 읽은 민재는 그 십이 초가 사람이 하늘을 나는 시대의 첫걸음이었다고 말해 주었어요.
After finishing the board, Minjae told him that those twelve seconds were the first step into the age of human flight.
실제로 그날 형제는 비행을 세 번 더 했고, 마지막 비행은 오십구 초 동안 이어졌대요.
In fact, the brothers flew three more times that day, and the last flight lasted fifty-nine seconds.
동생은 짧은 시작도 계속 이어 가면 큰 변화가 될 수 있다는 걸 알았다며 고개를 끄덕였어요.
His brother nodded, saying he now understood that even a short start can become a big change if you keep going.
How long did the Wright brothers' first flight last?
- Fifty-nine seconds
- Forty seconds
- Three hours
- Twelve seconds ✓
Why didn't Minjae answer his brother's question right away?
- He was reading the display board ✓
- He had no idea of the answer
- His brother spoke too quietly
- He was photographing the model
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Their first flight lasted over a minute
- A real airplane hung in the hall
- Minjae went with a friend
- The brothers flew several times that day ✓
📖 A Talk on Gutenberg's Press
저는 지난주에 동네 도서관에서 인쇄의 역사를 주제로 한 특별 강연을 들었어요.
Last week I attended a special lecture on the history of printing at my neighborhood library.
강사는 천사백오십 년 무렵 독일의 구텐베르크가 금속 활자를 이용한 인쇄기를 만들었다고 소개했어요.
The lecturer explained that around 1450, Gutenberg in Germany built a printing press that used metal type.
이 인쇄기 덕분에 책을 손으로 베껴 쓰던 때보다 훨씬 빠르고 많이 만들 수 있게 됐어요.
Thanks to this press, books could be made far faster and in greater numbers than when they were copied by hand.
강연이 끝나 갈 무렵, 사회를 보던 도서관 직원 예린 씨가 쪽지 하나를 들고 강사에게 다가갔어요.
As the lecture was ending, Yerin, the library staff member hosting the event, walked up to the lecturer holding a note.
예린 씨는 “저기 계신 분이 그때 찍은 성경 중에 지금까지 남은 게 많으냐는데요.” 하고 질문을 전했어요.
Yerin passed on the question: “The person over there is asking whether many of the Bibles printed back then still survive.”
강사는 처음에 백팔십 권 정도를 찍었는데, 지금은 그중 오십 권이 안 되는 책만 남아 있다고 대답했어요.
The lecturer answered that about 180 copies were first printed, but fewer than fifty of them survive today.
청중들은 한 권 한 권이 왜 그렇게 귀한지 이해하며 고개를 끄덕였어요.
The audience nodded, understanding why each copy is so precious.
강연을 들은 뒤 저는 책을 쉽게 볼 수 있는 오늘날이 결코 당연한 일이 아니라는 생각이 들었어요.
After the lecture, I felt that living in a time when books are easy to find is by no means something to take for granted.
What question did Yerin pass on to the lecturer?
- Where the press was made
- Whether many Bibles still survive ✓
- How many years the Bible was printed
- When the lecture would end
What changed after the printing press was made?
- More people copied books by hand
- Metal type was no longer used
- Books could be made faster and in larger numbers ✓
- Bibles became much more expensive
What can we learn from this passage?
- Few Gutenberg Bibles survive today ✓
- Gutenberg built his press in the 1800s
- The lecturer didn't answer the question
- Yerin gave the lecture
🌿 Twenty-Five Volumes of Donguibogam
한의학을 공부하는 대학생 은서 씨는 요즘 동의보감에 관한 발표를 준비하고 있어요.
Eunseo, a college student studying Korean medicine, is preparing a presentation on Donguibogam these days.
동의보감은 조선 시대 궁중 의사였던 허준이 왕의 명을 받아 쓰기 시작해 천육백십 년에 완성한 의학책이에요.
Donguibogam is a medical book that Heo Jun, a royal court physician of the Joseon era, began writing on the king's orders and completed in 1610.
은서 씨는 도서관에서 동의보감이 스물다섯 권이나 된다는 것을 알고 깜짝 놀랐어요.
At the library, Eunseo was startled to find that Donguibogam runs to twenty-five volumes.
그래서 지도 교수님께 책이 왜 이렇게 많으냐고 여쭤보았어요.
So she asked her advisor why there were so many volumes.
교수님은 “왜 이렇게 많으냐니, 온갖 병과 약을 다 다룬 책인데 오히려 적은 편이지.” 하고 웃으셨어요.
The professor laughed and said, “Why so many? It covers every kind of illness and remedy, so if anything, that's on the small side.”
동의보감에는 병의 증상과 치료법뿐 아니라 백성들이 쉽게 구할 수 있는 약재도 정리되어 있어요.
Donguibogam organizes not only symptoms and treatments but also medicinal herbs that ordinary people could easily obtain.
이런 가치를 인정받아 동의보감은 이천구 년 유네스코 세계 기록 유산으로 등재되었어요.
Recognized for this value, Donguibogam was inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2009.
은서 씨는 발표에서 이 책이 오늘날까지 의미 있는 이유를 차근차근 설명하기로 했어요.
Eunseo decided to explain step by step in her presentation why this book is still meaningful today.
What did Eunseo ask her professor?
- What kind of person Heo Jun was
- Why there were so many volumes ✓
- Where to get medicinal herbs
- When the presentation would be
Why did the professor say twenty-five volumes was actually on the small side?
- Other medical books exceed a hundred volumes
- Heo Jun never finished the book
- It covers every illness and remedy ✓
- Eunseo only needs to read a few
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Heo Jun wrote it only for himself
- It contains only treatments
- Eunseo has already given her talk
- It is on the Memory of the World Register ✓
✍️ A Friend Who Learned Hangul Fast
제 멕시코 친구 마리아는 한국에 온 지 석 달 만에 한글을 거의 다 읽게 되었어요.
My Mexican friend Maria was able to read almost all of Hangul just three months after coming to Korea.
어느 날 제가 한글이 처음 보기에는 낯설지 않으냐니까, 마리아는 오히려 규칙이 분명해서 외우기 쉬웠다고 했어요.
One day when I asked her whether Hangul didn't look strange at first, Maria said that, on the contrary, its clear rules made it easy to memorize.
한글은 조선의 세종대왕이 천사백사십삼 년에 만들고, 삼 년 뒤에 훈민정음이라는 이름으로 세상에 알렸어요.
King Sejong of Joseon created Hangul in 1443 and announced it to the world three years later under the name Hunminjeongeum.
당시에는 한자를 배우기 어려워서 글을 읽고 쓰지 못하는 백성이 많았어요.
At the time, Chinese characters were hard to learn, so many common people couldn't read or write.
세종대왕은 이런 백성들이 자기 뜻을 쉽게 글로 쓸 수 있도록 새 글자를 만들었다고 밝혔어요.
King Sejong stated that he made the new letters so that such people could easily put their thoughts into writing.
특히 기본 자음은 소리를 낼 때의 입과 혀, 목구멍 모양을 본떠 만들어서 원리를 알면 배우기가 쉬워요.
In particular, the basic consonants were modeled on the shape of the mouth, tongue and throat when making each sound, so they're easy to learn once you know the principle.
마리아는 한글날인 시월 구 일에 한국어로 쓴 첫 편지를 저에게 주겠다고 약속했어요.
Maria promised to give me her first letter written in Korean on October 9, Hangul Day.
How did Maria answer the writer's question?
- Its clear rules made it easy to memorize ✓
- Its strange shapes made it hard to learn
- It resembled Spanish, so she read it quickly
- She still could hardly read it
Why did King Sejong create the new letters?
- So people could learn Chinese characters faster
- To send letters to foreigners
- So people could easily write their thoughts ✓
- To keep palace records secret
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Hangul was first created in 1446
- The basic consonants imitate the mouth, tongue, etc. ✓
- Maria has been in Korea for three years
- Most common people knew Chinese characters well
🗺️ How Big Is the Great Map?
성민 씨는 여덟 살 아들과 함께 박물관에서 열린 옛 지도 전시회에 갔어요.
Seongmin went to an exhibition of old maps at a museum with his eight-year-old son.
가장 인기가 많은 작품은 조선 후기에 김정호가 만든 대동여지도였어요.
The most popular piece was Daedongyeojido, made by Kim Jeong-ho in the late Joseon period.
대동여지도는 천팔백육십일 년에 나무판에 새겨 찍어 낸 전국 지도로, 스물두 권의 책으로 나뉘어 있어요.
Daedongyeojido is a map of the whole country, carved into woodblocks and printed in 1861, and it is divided into twenty-two books.
책처럼 접을 수 있어서 필요한 지역만 펼쳐 들고 다닐 수 있었다고 해요.
Because it folds like a book, people could open and carry just the region they needed.
대답 없이 설명만 읽는 아빠의 소매를 당기며 아들이 “아빠, 이거 다 펼치면 우리 거실보다 넓으냐니까는?” 하고 다시 물었어요.
Tugging at the sleeve of his dad, who kept reading the description without answering, the son asked again, “Dad, I'm asking, if you unfold it all, is it bigger than our living room?”
성민 씨는 모두 이어 붙이면 세로 길이가 육 미터가 넘으니 거실보다 훨씬 크다고 대답해 주었어요.
Seongmin answered that if you join it all together it's more than six meters from top to bottom, so it's much bigger than the living room.
또 길 위에 십 리마다 점을 찍어 두어서 거리를 쉽게 짐작할 수 있었다는 설명도 덧붙였어요.
He added that dots were marked on the roads every ten ri, so people could easily estimate distances.
아들은 집에 가서 동네 지도를 직접 그려 보겠다며 신이 났어요.
His son got excited, saying he would draw a map of their neighborhood himself when they got home.
What did the son keep asking Seongmin?
- Who made the map
- Whether they could buy the map
- Why it was carved in wood
- Whether the unfolded map is bigger than the living room ✓
Why was Daedongyeojido convenient to carry?
- It folded like a book, opening only the part needed ✓
- The paper was very thin and light
- The whole map was a single sheet
- It was much smaller than a living room
What can we learn from this passage?
- It was drawn by hand sheet by sheet
- It was made in the early Joseon period
- Seongmin went to the exhibition alone
- It has dots that show distance ✓
☀️ The Sundial with Twelve Animals
과학관 견학을 온 초등학생들이 마당에 놓인 앙부일구 앞에 모였어요.
Elementary school students on a field trip to a science museum gathered in front of the Angbuilgu in the courtyard.
앙부일구는 세종 때 만든 해시계로, 솥을 하늘로 향하게 놓은 것 같은 모양이에요.
Angbuilgu is a sundial made in King Sejong's time, shaped like a cauldron facing the sky.
안쪽에 드리운 바늘 그림자를 보면 그때의 시각과 계절까지 알 수 있어요.
By looking at the needle's shadow falling inside, you can tell the time and even the season.
해설사가 설명을 이어 가는 동안 한 아이가 시계 안쪽의 동물 그림을 가리키며 질문을 했어요.
While the guide went on with the explanation, a child pointed at the animal pictures inside the sundial and asked a question.
해설사가 잠깐 기다리라고 하자 아이는 “동물 그림이 왜 이렇게 많으냐니까요?” 하고 다시 물었어요.
When the guide asked him to wait a moment, the child asked again, “I'm asking why there are so many animal pictures!”
해설사는 글을 모르는 백성도 시각을 알 수 있도록 글자 대신 열두 동물을 그려 넣었다고 대답했어요.
The guide answered that twelve animals were drawn instead of letters so that even people who couldn't read could tell the time.
그리고 이 해시계를 사람이 많이 다니는 길가에 두어 누구나 볼 수 있게 했다고 덧붙였어요.
She added that this sundial was placed by busy streets so that anyone could see it.
아이들은 자기 띠에 해당하는 동물을 찾아보며 즐거워했어요.
The children had fun looking for the animal of their own zodiac sign.
What did the child ask the guide again?
- Who made the sundial
- Why there were so many animal pictures ✓
- Why the shadow was so short
- When the field trip would end
Why were animals drawn on Angbuilgu instead of letters?
- So children could find their zodiac sign
- To make the sundial prettier
- So people who couldn't read could tell the time ✓
- To show a different animal each season
Which of the following matches the passage?
- It was placed by busy streets ✓
- It used water to tell the time
- It could not show the season
- The guide never answered the child
🏯 The Crane That Built Hwaseong Fortress
지난 토요일에 저는 중학생 동생과 함께 수원 화성에 다녀왔어요.
Last Saturday I visited Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon with my younger brother, who is in middle school.
수원 화성은 조선의 정조 때 지어진 성으로, 유네스코 세계 유산에도 등재되어 있어요.
Hwaseong Fortress was built during the reign of King Jeongjo of Joseon and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
성 근처의 전시관에는 정약용이 설계한 거중기라는 기계의 모형이 있었어요.
In an exhibition hall near the fortress, there was a model of a machine called geojunggi, designed by Jeong Yak-yong.
제가 대답 없이 설명판만 읽고 있자, 동생은 “형, 이 기계가 정말 사람보다 힘이 좋으냐니깐?” 하고 재촉했어요.
As I kept reading the display board without answering, my brother pressed me, “Come on, I'm asking, is this machine really stronger than people?”
거중기는 여러 개의 도르래를 이용해서 적은 힘으로도 무거운 돌을 들어 올릴 수 있게 만든 기계예요.
Geojunggi is a machine that uses several pulleys so that heavy stones can be lifted with little force.
원래 십 년쯤 걸릴 것으로 예상했던 공사가 거중기 같은 도구들 덕분에 삼 년도 안 되어 끝났다고 해요.
Construction that was expected to take about ten years was reportedly finished in less than three, thanks to tools like the geojunggi.
동생은 기계가 사람보다 힘이 센 게 아니라 사람의 힘을 똑똑하게 쓰게 해 준다는 걸 알고 신기해했어요.
My brother was fascinated to learn that the machine isn't stronger than people but lets people use their strength cleverly.
What did the brother ask while hurrying the writer?
- Who designed the fortress
- Whether the machine was really stronger than people ✓
- How many years construction took
- When the hall opens
Why could construction finish sooner than expected?
- Ten times more workers were hired
- Only light stones were used
- Tools like the geojunggi were used ✓
- The fortress was made half as big
What can we learn from this passage?
- Hwaseong was built under King Sejong
- The brother read the whole board
- The geojunggi is stronger than people
- The geojunggi uses pulleys ✓
⚛️ Marie Curie at the Book Club
가은 씨는 이번 달 독서 모임에서 마리 퀴리의 전기를 소개하기로 했어요.
Gaeun decided to present a biography of Marie Curie at this month's book club.
마리 퀴리는 폴란드에서 태어나 프랑스에서 연구한 과학자로, 방사능 연구로 잘 알려져 있어요.
Marie Curie was a scientist born in Poland who did her research in France, and she is well known for her work on radioactivity.
모임이 시작되자 한 회원이 과학자 이야기는 어렵고 지루하지 않으냐고 물었어요.
When the meeting began, one member asked whether a scientist's story wasn't difficult and boring.
가은 씨는 눈을 크게 뜨며 “지루하지 않으냐니요? 저는 읽는 내내 가슴이 뛰었어요.”라고 대답했어요.
Gaeun's eyes widened as she replied, “Boring? What do you mean? My heart was racing the whole time I read it.”
마리 퀴리는 천구백삼 년에 여성 최초로 노벨상을 받았고, 천구백십일 년에 다시 한 번 노벨상을 받았어요.
In 1903 Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and in 1911 she won a Nobel Prize once again.
게다가 서로 다른 두 과학 분야에서 노벨상을 받은 사람은 지금까지도 마리 퀴리뿐이에요.
What's more, she is still the only person to have won Nobel Prizes in two different sciences.
새로 발견한 원소 하나에는 조국 폴란드를 기리며 폴로늄이라는 이름을 붙이기도 했어요.
She even named one of the elements she discovered polonium, in honor of her homeland, Poland.
가은 씨의 소개가 끝나자 그 회원도 책을 빌려 가서 읽어 보겠다고 했어요.
When Gaeun finished her presentation, that member said they would borrow the book and read it too.
What did one member ask Gaeun?
- Whether a scientist's story isn't boring ✓
- Where Marie Curie was born
- Where she borrowed the book
- How many Nobel Prizes she won
Why did Marie Curie name a new element polonium?
- To celebrate her Nobel Prize
- To make it known to the French
- To honor her homeland, Poland ✓
- To remember book club members
Which of the following matches the passage?
- She was a scientist born in France
- She won Nobel Prizes in two sciences ✓
- Gaeun found the biography boring
- The member never became interested
☝️ Six Dots for Every Letter
저희 할아버지는 시각 장애인을 위해 책을 점자로 옮기는 봉사를 오래 해 오셨어요.
My grandfather has long volunteered transcribing books into braille for people with visual impairments.
어느 날 저녁 할아버지는 “옆집 아이가 점 여섯 개로는 글자를 나타내기에 너무 적지 않으냐더군.” 하고 웃으셨어요.
One evening my grandfather laughed, “The kid next door asked me whether six dots aren't too few to show all the letters.”
할아버지는 그 질문에 답하려고 점자를 만든 루이 브라유 이야기를 들려주셨어요.
To answer that question, my grandfather told me the story of Louis Braille, who created braille.
브라유는 어린 시절 사고로 앞을 보지 못하게 되었고, 열다섯 살 무렵 여섯 개의 점으로 된 글자를 만들었어요.
Braille lost his sight after an accident in early childhood, and around age fifteen he created a script made of six dots.
점 여섯 개를 이리저리 조합하면 예순세 가지 모양을 만들 수 있어서 글자를 나타내기에 충분했어요.
Combining the six dots in different ways gives sixty-three patterns, which is enough to represent the letters.
또 여섯 점이 손가락 끝에 한 번에 닿는 크기라서 빨리 읽을 수 있다고 해요.
Also, the six dots are sized to fit under a fingertip at once, so they can be read quickly.
우리나라에서는 박두성 선생이 이 원리를 바탕으로 천구백이십육 년에 한글 점자를 만들었어요.
In Korea, Park Du-seong created Korean braille in 1926 based on this principle.
할아버지의 이야기를 들으며 저는 작은 점 하나하나에 담긴 배려를 새삼 느꼈어요.
Listening to my grandfather, I felt anew the care contained in every tiny dot.
What was the neighbor's child curious about?
- Who first created braille
- Why the grandfather volunteers
- When Korean braille began
- Whether six dots are too few ✓
Why are six dots enough to represent the letters?
- They combine into sixty-three patterns ✓
- The dots come in different sizes
- The dots are big enough to see by eye
- Every letter uses all six dots
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Braille was blind from birth
- The grandfather teaches the neighbor braille
- Braille created it at thirty
- Park Du-seong created Korean braille ✓
📄 Making Paper the Old Way
윤아 씨는 전주의 한지 공방에서 전통 종이 만들기 체험에 참여했어요.
Yuna took part in a traditional papermaking workshop at a hanji studio in Jeonju.
공방 주인은 닥나무 껍질을 삶고 두드려서 종이를 뜨는 과정을 차례로 보여 주었어요.
The studio owner showed, step by step, how mulberry bark is boiled and beaten before the paper is formed.
그러다가 “지난주에 오신 분이 지금 만드는 방법이 옛날과 같으냐더군요.” 하고 이야기를 꺼냈어요.
Then she brought up a story: “Someone who came last week asked whether the method we use now is the same as long ago.”
주인은 식물의 섬유를 물에 풀어 얇게 뜬다는 기본 원리는 거의 그대로라고 설명했어요.
The owner explained that the basic principle of loosening plant fibers in water and forming a thin sheet has hardly changed.
이 원리는 천구백여 년 전 중국의 채륜이 종이 만드는 법을 크게 개선하면서 널리 퍼졌다고 해요.
This principle is said to have spread widely after Cai Lun of China greatly improved papermaking about 1,900 years ago.
채륜은 나무껍질과 헌 천, 낡은 그물 같은 값싼 재료로 종이를 만들어 글을 쓰는 재료를 훨씬 싸고 가볍게 했어요.
By making paper from cheap materials like tree bark, old cloth and worn fishing nets, Cai Lun made writing material far cheaper and lighter.
윤아 씨는 자기가 뜬 종이를 말리며 오래된 발명이 지금도 손끝에서 이어지고 있다는 사실이 신기했어요.
Drying the paper she had made, Yuna found it amazing that such an old invention still lives on at people's fingertips.
What question from last week's participant did the owner mention?
- What the paper is made from
- Whether today's method is the same as long ago ✓
- How long it takes to dry
- Where Cai Lun was from
What best explains why Cai Lun's paper could spread widely?
- It was much thicker than silk
- It was made in a Jeonju studio
- It could be made from cheap materials ✓
- Only the emperor could use it
Which of the following matches the passage?
- The studio makes paper from mulberry bark ✓
- The principle is completely different now
- Yuna owns the hanji studio
- Yuna only watched and made no paper
💊 The Mold That Saved Lives
지난주에 목이 심하게 부어서 병원에 갔더니 의사 선생님이 세균 때문에 생긴 염증이라며 항생제를 처방해 주셨어요.
Last week my throat was badly swollen, so I went to the hospital, where the doctor said it was an infection caused by bacteria and prescribed antibiotics.
약국에서 약을 받는데, 약사로 일하는 이모가 목은 좀 괜찮으냐더니 최초의 항생제 이야기를 들려주었어요.
When I picked up my medicine, my aunt, who works as a pharmacist, asked if my throat was any better and then told me the story of the first antibiotic.
천구백이십팔 년, 영국의 과학자 플레밍은 휴가에서 돌아와 세균을 기르던 접시를 살펴보았어요.
In 1928, the British scientist Fleming returned from vacation and examined the dishes in which he had been growing bacteria.
그런데 접시 한쪽에 푸른곰팡이가 피어 있었고, 그 주변에서는 세균이 자라지 못하고 있었어요.
On one side of a dish, blue mold had grown, and around it the bacteria were unable to grow.
플레밍은 이 곰팡이가 세균을 죽이는 물질을 만든다는 것을 알아내고 페니실린이라는 이름을 붙였어요.
Fleming found that the mold produced a substance that killed bacteria and named it penicillin.
이후 다른 과학자들이 이 물질을 많이 만드는 방법을 찾아내면서 페니실린은 수많은 생명을 구했어요.
Later, as other scientists found ways to produce it in large quantities, penicillin saved countless lives.
이모는 우연히 생긴 일도 그냥 지나치지 않고 관찰하는 태도가 큰 발견을 만든다고 말했어요.
My aunt said that great discoveries come from the habit of observing closely instead of ignoring things that happen by chance.
이모는 또 항생제는 의사가 말한 대로 정해진 기간 동안 먹어야 한다고 당부했어요.
She also reminded me that antibiotics must be taken for the set period, exactly as the doctor said.
What did the aunt ask the writer first?
- Whether the medicine was finished
- Whether the throat was any better ✓
- Whether the writer knew Fleming
- Which hospital the writer went to
Why did Fleming pay attention to the mold?
- The mold covered the whole dish
- He wanted to grow mold on vacation
- Bacteria couldn't grow around it ✓
- Another scientist sent him the mold
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Fleming mass-produced it alone
- The aunt is a hospital doctor
- The writer went home without medicine
- Penicillin was found in a mold ✓
🔭 Was Galileo's Telescope This Good?
준서 씨는 주말마다 천문 동아리에서 아이들에게 망원경으로 달과 별을 보여 주는 봉사를 해요.
Every weekend, Junseo volunteers with an astronomy club, showing children the moon and stars through telescopes.
행사가 끝난 뒤 준서 씨는 동아리 친구에게 “아까 한 아이가 갈릴레이의 망원경도 이것처럼 좋으냐더라고.” 하고 말했어요.
After the event, Junseo told a club friend, “Earlier a kid asked me whether Galileo's telescope was as good as this one.”
갈릴레이는 천육백구 년에 망원경에 관한 소식을 듣고 직접 더 좋은 망원경을 만들었어요.
In 1609, Galileo heard about the telescope and built a better one himself.
그의 망원경은 사물을 약 스무 배 크게 보여 주었는데, 오늘날의 망원경에 비하면 성능이 훨씬 낮았어요.
His telescope magnified things about twenty times, but its performance was far lower than that of today's telescopes.
그래도 갈릴레이는 그 망원경으로 달 표면의 산을 관찰하고, 목성 주위를 도는 위성 네 개를 발견했어요.
Even so, with that telescope Galileo observed mountains on the moon's surface and discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter.
친구는 좋은 도구보다 끈기 있게 관찰하는 눈이 더 중요했던 것 같다고 말했어요.
His friend said that a patient, observant eye seemed to have mattered more than a good tool.
준서 씨는 다음 행사 때 그 아이에게 목성의 위성을 꼭 보여 주기로 마음먹었어요.
Junseo made up his mind to show that child Jupiter's moons at the next event.
What did a child ask Junseo?
- Whether Galileo's telescope was as good as this one ✓
- What Galileo discovered
- Whether they could see Jupiter's moons
- How to join the club
What did the friend think let Galileo make great discoveries?
- He had the best telescope
- He invented the telescope
- His patient observation ✓
- He worked with club friends
Which of the following matches the passage?
- His telescope outperformed today's
- Galileo discovered four moons of Jupiter ✓
- He built it in the 1900s
- Junseo already showed the child Jupiter
☎️ From Voice Calls to Text
회사 점심시간에 동료들과 요즘 사람들이 통화보다 문자를 더 편하게 여긴다는 이야기를 나눴어요.
During lunch at work, my coworkers and I talked about how people these days find texting more comfortable than calling.
팀장님이 젊은 직원들은 왜 그렇게 통화가 싫으냐던데, 저는 문득 전화기가 처음 나왔을 때가 궁금해졌어요.
Our team leader had asked why young employees dislike phone calls so much, and I suddenly became curious about when the telephone first appeared.
찾아보니 전화기는 천팔백칠십육 년에 알렉산더 그레이엄 벨이 특허를 받으면서 세상에 알려졌어요.
When I looked it up, I learned that the telephone became known to the world in 1876, when Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for it.
벨은 원래 청각 장애인에게 말하기를 가르치던 교사여서 소리가 전달되는 원리에 관심이 많았어요.
Bell was originally a teacher who taught speech to deaf people, so he was very interested in how sound travels.
전화로 처음 전해진 말은 옆방에 있던 조수에게 이리 와 달라고 부르는 짧은 문장이었다고 해요.
The first words sent by telephone are said to have been a short sentence calling his assistant in the next room to come over.
그때 사람들에게는 멀리 있는 사람의 목소리를 바로 듣는 것 자체가 놀라운 경험이었어요.
For people back then, simply hearing the voice of someone far away right away was an amazing experience.
그런데 백오십 년쯤 지난 지금, 어떤 사람들에게 전화기는 목소리보다 글자를 더 많이 주고받는 기계가 되었어요.
Yet now, some 150 years later, for some people the phone has become a device for exchanging text more than voices.
저는 다음 회의 때 이 이야기를 꺼내서 팀장님과 이야기를 나눠 보려고 해요.
I plan to bring this up at the next meeting and talk it over with my team leader.
What was the team leader curious about?
- When the telephone first appeared
- What work Bell did
- Why lunch break is so short
- Why young employees dislike calls ✓
Why was Bell so interested in how sound travels?
- He taught speech to deaf people ✓
- His assistant was always next door
- He wanted to build a texting machine
- He wanted to talk with a team leader
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Bell was a phone company engineer
- The writer already discussed it with the leader
- The telephone appeared about fifty years ago
- The first words called for his assistant ✓
🏅 Why the Nobel Prize Began
과학 시간이 끝난 뒤, 반장인 하윤이가 교무실로 과학 선생님을 찾아갔어요.
After science class, Hayun, the class president, came to the teachers' office to see the science teacher.
하윤이는 “선생님, 옆 반 친구가 노벨상 상금이 정말 그렇게 많으냐던데요.” 하고 조심스럽게 말했어요.
Hayun said carefully, “Teacher, a friend in the next class was asking whether the Nobel Prize money is really that much.”
선생님은 웃으시며 다음 시간에 노벨상이 생긴 이야기를 함께 해 보자고 하셨어요.
The teacher smiled and suggested they talk about how the Nobel Prize began in the next class.
다음 시간에 선생님은 스웨덴의 과학자 알프레드 노벨이 다이너마이트를 발명해 천팔백육십칠 년에 특허를 받았다고 설명하셨어요.
In the next class, the teacher explained that the Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel invented dynamite and patented it in 1867.
다이너마이트는 그전에 쓰던 폭약보다 안전하게 다룰 수 있어서 광산과 터널 공사에 널리 쓰였어요.
Because dynamite could be handled more safely than the explosives used before, it was widely used in mines and tunnel construction.
노벨은 이 발명으로 큰 재산을 모았고, 그 재산으로 인류에 크게 이바지한 사람에게 상을 주라는 유언을 남겼어요.
Nobel made a large fortune from this invention and left a will saying that it should be used to give prizes to those who greatly benefit humankind.
그 뜻에 따라 천구백일 년에 물리학, 화학, 의학, 문학, 평화의 다섯 분야에서 첫 노벨상이 수여되었어요.
Following his wishes, the first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901 in five fields: physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace.
하윤이는 상금보다 상이 만들어진 이유가 더 흥미롭다며 옆 반 친구에게도 전해 주겠다고 했어요.
Hayun said the reason the prize was created was more interesting than the prize money, and that she would tell her friend in the next class too.
What question did Hayun pass on to the teacher?
- Who made dynamite
- Whether the prize money is really large ✓
- When the Nobel Prize began
- When science class ends
Why was dynamite widely used?
- It had won a Nobel Prize
- It was much cheaper than other explosives
- It was safer to handle than before ✓
- The Swedish government ordered its use
What can we learn from this passage?
- The prize was created by Nobel's will ✓
- The first prize was given in one field only
- Nobel won a Nobel Prize for dynamite
- Hayun answered the friend's question herself
🚂 The Kettle and the Steam Engine
추운 겨울밤, 할아버지께서 주전자에 물을 끓여 따뜻한 보리차를 준비해 주셨어요.
On a cold winter night, my grandfather boiled water in a kettle and made warm barley tea.
할아버지께서는 너무 뜨겁지 않으냐며 제 손에 찻잔을 조심스럽게 쥐여 주셨어요.
Asking whether it wasn't too hot, my grandfather carefully placed the teacup in my hands.
그때 주전자 뚜껑이 수증기에 들썩이는 것을 보고, 할아버지는 증기 기관 이야기를 꺼내셨어요.
Just then, seeing the kettle lid rattling from the steam, my grandfather started talking about the steam engine.
증기 기관은 물을 끓일 때 생기는 수증기의 힘으로 기계를 움직이는 장치예요.
A steam engine is a device that runs machines using the power of the steam produced when water boils.
제임스 와트가 처음 만든 것은 아니지만, 그는 천칠백육십구 년에 증기 기관을 크게 개량해 특허를 받았어요.
James Watt did not invent it first, but in 1769 he greatly improved the steam engine and received a patent.
와트의 증기 기관은 전보다 훨씬 적은 석탄으로 움직일 수 있어서 공장과 광산에서 널리 쓰이게 되었어요.
Watt's engine could run on much less coal than before, so it came to be widely used in factories and mines.
오늘날 전구에 적힌 와트라는 단위도 그의 이름에서 따온 것이라고 해요.
The unit “watt” written on light bulbs today is also said to come from his name.
저는 따뜻한 차를 마시며 늘 보던 주전자에도 큰 발명의 원리가 숨어 있다는 게 신기했어요.
Drinking the warm tea, I found it amazing that even an everyday kettle hides the principle of a great invention.
What did the grandfather ask while handing over the teacup?
- Whether the writer likes barley tea
- Whether the tea wasn't too hot ✓
- Whether the writer knows the steam engine
- Whether to boil more water
Why did Watt's steam engine become widely used?
- Watt was the first to make one
- It was as small as a kettle
- It used much less coal than before ✓
- It could light bulbs brightly
Which of the following matches the passage?
- James Watt first invented the steam engine
- The grandfather built steam engines
- Watt got his patent in the 1900s
- The watt unit comes from James Watt's name ✓